1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to cutting materials and in particular to a method and apparatus for cutting slots in materials. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for creating slots to separate parts.
2. Background
During manufacturing and/or maintenance, it may be necessary to remove parts from an aircraft. For example, without limitation, during assembly of an aircraft wing, it may be necessary to remove a spar or some other part for any number of reasons. During maintenance or other post-assembly operations, it may be desirable to replace parts.
For example, without limitation, a spar may be removed from the interior of an aircraft wing, and a new spar may be put in its place. When a spar is already present within an aircraft wing, a spar may not be easily removable without cutting the spar into multiple pieces. This situation may arise because of a lack of space within an assembled aircraft wing.
When removing a spar from an aircraft wing, it may be necessary to cut through the spar down to near the skin panel to which the spar may be attached. The skin panel may be a metallic, composite and metallic or composite skin panel. As a result, it may be important to not touch and/or cut into the skin panel, while cutting the spar into multiple pieces. It may be undesirable for a cutting tool to touch and/or cut into a skin panel. Touching or trimming the skin panel may extend the rework beyond the original scope of the project.
Currently, cuts may be made into the spar by hand. An operator may employ a cutting tool by hand to cut through the spar. The operator may make successive cuts deeper into the spar in an attempt to create a cut that may be deep enough to allow for separation of the spar into multiple pieces without touching and/or cutting into the skin panel. Large portions of the spar may be cut away leaving smaller portions that may be attached to the skin panel. These portions may be removed in pieces. The cuts made into the portions of the spar that may be attached to the skin panel may take the form of slots. These slots may be cut within 1/1,000 to 1/100 of an inch to the surface of the skin panels without touching the skin panels.
This type of operation may be very time consuming. Further, expenses may increase if cuts touch and/or extend into the skin panel.
Accordingly, a need is present for a method and apparatus to minimize the time and effort needed to remove parts that overcome the problems discussed above.